03.08.2006 Craig Lord
Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md./Club Wolverine) won the 200m freestyle (1:45.63) and 200m butterfly (1:54.32, 0.39sec outside his world record) on day two of the US national championships in Irvine, California. Those victories took to 30 the number of American titles Phelps has to his credit.
Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif./Longhorn Aquatics), also came close to breaking his own world record, retaining the 100m backstroke title in 53.38 (0.21sec outside his best), the fastest time in the world this year. Randall Bal (Fair Oaks, Calif./Stanford Swimming) followed with 53.91. Bal was inside world record pace at 50 but Peirsol overtook him down the last 25m to take his 10th American title.
“It never gets any easier, especially when you race against these guys,” Peirsol said. He faces Phelps over 200m later this week.
Behind Phelps over 200m free were teammates Klete Keller (Phoenix, Ariz.)on 1:46.62, Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Minn.) on 1:47.73 and Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla./Daytona Beach) on 1:47.78. A challenge on Australia’s 4x200m world record cannot be too far away.
“You can always tell when the crowd?s with you and they?re cheering you through every stroke,” Phelps said. “You always know when something exciting is happening. To come in and be so close, it?s kind of disappointing, but on the same end, I have a number of things I know right now from swimming that race that I can fix.”
The women’s 200m free went to Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif./Cal Aquatics) in 1:58.11, ahead of Katie Hoff (Towson, Md./N. Baltimore), on 1:58.16, with Dana Vollmer (Ft. Worth, Texas/Ft. Worth Area) third in 1:58.79.
“I knew how the race would go,” Coughlin said. “Katie and I swim that race pretty similar. We take it out a little easier and then sprint that third 50. During that fourth 50, we try to hold on. So I knew what was going to happen. It was nice to see (Katie?s) time, and my time and the other girls.”
Results at a glance:
Men: 200m freestyle: 1. Michael Phelps 1:45.63, 2. Klete Keller 1:46.62, 3. Peter Vanderkaay 1:47.73, 4. Ryan Lochte 1:47.78. 100m backstroke: 1. Aaron Peirsol 53.38, 2. Randall Bal 53.91, 3. Peter Marshall 54.77. 200m butterfly: 1. Michael Phelps 1:54.32, 2. Davis Tarwater 1:57.00, 3. Daniel Madwed 1:58.16. Women: 200m freestyle: 1. Natalie Coughlin 1:58.11, 2. Katie Hoff 1:58.16, 3. Dana Vollmer 1:58.79, 4. Amanda Weir 1:59.11. 100m backstroke: 1. Leila Vaziri 1:01.69, 2. Lauren English 1:01.86, 3. Margaret Hoelzer 1:01.93.
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